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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22675414">Stories of the Second Self: Steady State</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner'>John_Steiner</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Alter Idem [129]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Urban Fantasy - Fandom, lockdown - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:14:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,143</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22675414</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Year Zero of Alter Item, and Mayor Farlow has to cope with the emergence of supernatural citizens in Cincinnati, including first responders and in city government. Farlow has to prepare the public for the new realities manifesting around then, if only he can get a handle on it all himself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Alter Idem [129]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stories of the Second Self: Steady State</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a bizarre trend, Mayor Farlow thought as he watched the news report. Previously, supernaturals were emerging only from countries where media outlets more or less had editorial liberty. Of course, it really meant authoritarian regimes and dictatorships were simply hiding internal realities from their own people and the world.</p><p>"The Xinhua News Agency has officially reported their first sighting of supernatural citizens after violence broke out in the streets of Beijing," the cable news anchor said with a breaking news crawl in red outlining other incidents around the world.</p><p>A few months had passed since the Norwood High mass shooting and revelation of Mark Lowell as the first confirmed werewolf. Since then supernaturals- as no one yet had a better term for the five kinds, were popping up everywhere with no rhyme or reason that epidemiologists could discern. Only recently, Mayor Farlow realized that supernaturals were in Cincinnati's police and fire departments, as well as in the city council.</p><p>"Last week, a man the Chinese news agency described as a defector from the People's Liberation Army, had purportedly been executed by the Chinese government after conviction," the anchor went on to describe the suspect state-sanctioned narrative, as a video came up on the screen next to the white-haired anchor as he went on, "And yet, he was seen walking past an apparently injured firefighter after exiting the detention facility. Xinhua reported that moments before the detention center had suffered a gas line incident, but offered no specifics as to the severity, or whether the situation was brought under control prior to this moment on video.</p><p>"One Chinese general had suggested that supernaturals were a disease of the west," the anchor described, "However, the Chinese government doesn't officially support that remark. They have suggested, that so-called anti-government groups have been using these supernaturals in an attempt to undermine the government and spread propaganda."</p><p>"Alright, that's enough of that," Farlow waved at the flat screen.</p><p>Farlow's chief-of-staff, James Hon gestured for an aid to turn off the TV before turning back around in his chair to say, "I've spoken with the commissioner, and he says that police video analysts think the man's not a werewolf."</p><p>"He can't be a vampire, can he?" Farlow asked, "It's daylight."</p><p>"With their smog problems, how much sunlight really hits the streets in Beijing?" James Hon remarked.</p><p>"Why's he naked then?" Farlow asked.</p><p>Chief of Staff Hon shook his head. "I don't know. There's no a mark on him, not even a smudge of smoke, so he can't have lost his clothes in a fire."</p><p>"The Chinese news outlet said he was executed," Farlow reminded.</p><p>"Well, Mayor," James Hon mulled over how to say it. "This is China's news agency we're talking about here. I got a friend in Langley who tells me that it's not unusual for them to strip a prisoner down and leave them in their cell for multiple nights before executing them. He tells me that if this vampire thing is real the prisoner, whoever he really is, likely died spontaneously in their cell, and the Chinese authorities just made up the execution story. The man probably wasn't even a defector, but maybe a whistleblower on corruption leading to high ranking party officials. If that's true, they'd have wanted him dead just for that."</p><p>"Hey, I'm just a mayor here," Farlow held out his hands. "Why's that gotta matter to us here?"</p><p>"Countries around the world are struggling to deal with this," James answered, "And some of them would rather that these supernaturals not exist, whiles others are exploiting them. Syria, for instance, has plunged deeper into civil war than ever before. They say most of Assad's regime turned into vampires, and that rebel jihadist groups are desperately rounding up angels as recruits to validate their cause."</p><p>"Just wish the federal government would hurry up with their recommendations," Farlow rued, slumped in his office chair, chin in hand. "That shooting at Norwood High is going to spawn copycat crimes and worse. That Lieutenant Reigns in the police department has a full rack of antlers now. Just all of a sudden, one day, there they are."</p><p>"I think that's because Lieutenant Reigns managed to keep them hidden the way those kids and history teacher at Norwood High managed to do," James suggested, "I've been talking with my contacts in local TV channels and papers, and it's been suggested that you make another public address to the city."</p><p>"And tell them what?" Farlow scowled, "That they gotta live with vampires, werewolves, ahh-- and horned elves or whatever? They already know these people are among us."</p><p>"Mayor Farlow," James leveled a serious expression. "The people of Cincinnati need to know there's a steady hand on the wheel. You need to demonstrate to them that things are under control and that we'll pull through. Otherwise, we could see our communities devolve like what's going on in small towns around the nation, and in larger urban areas in less stable countries. You're going to have to condemn the religious groups speaking out against these supernatural citizens."</p><p>Farlow opened the drawer to his desk and pulled out two small stacks of papers, that he tossed to land in front of Chief-of-Staff Hon.</p><p>Jame skimmed over them before his face turned to surprise. "Sir, you're not running for reelection?"</p><p>"I can't do this," Farlow replied, and then rubbed his face before going on, "It's more than I signed onto. I'll serve out my term, but I'm done, James. You got your public address speech there, but that other one is for when I make it official later this month. We can work on the redraft as the facts change, but I've pretty much laid out what I want to say."</p><p>"Do I tell the staff?" James solemnly asked.</p><p>"You can tell the vice mayor and department heads," Farlow acquiesced, himself not willing to risk a premature leak. "Then a couple days before I drop the announcement we'll get all the staff together to let them know. Tell you the truth, I'm sure a lot of them will be relieved. Things weren't going right for us even before this."</p><p>"I'm sure they're still glad they were a part of your administration," James suggested, "And, if I may say so, I'd rather hitch my wagon to your star than that reverend nut in the city council."</p><p>"Alright, lets schedule the first announcement for Monday," Farlow said, "Let the news people know and work out a schedule."</p><p>James Hon nodded, and got up from his chair to leave. Mayor Farlow just stared at the speech that James had left on the desk; Farlow's announcement to not seek reelection. His mind went to the strange lumps that had started growing on his wife's shoulders. If supernaturals were becoming real what was she turning into?</p>
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